Do you have Crohn's? Believe me, I know what that's like. This 100+ page eBook guide contains everything I did to beat it, and the tools you need overcome it too. Don’t Miss These Popular Posts Epsom Salt: Why You Need It and How to Use ItWhat’s with the Craving? Causes of Food Cravings RevealedEssential Oils: Fad or Fantastic?A Gentle Vaccine Detox For ChildrenStay Connected With Dr. Weil - Get Free Newsletters Right In Your Inbox Published August 11, 2016 | Essentially all human infants are born with very low blood levels of vitamin K and, since low amounts of vitamin K crosses into breast milk, levels remain low for several weeks after birth in breastfed babies. The purpose of this natural, universal experience of low vitamin K levels in newborns is not known. Has Mother Nature really made a mistake? Or is there a perfectly good reason for it that we just haven’t figured out yet? Mouse and epidemiologic studies indicate that the neonatal “deficiency” of vitamin K, which promotes cell turnover, may actually protect the developing fetus from damaging substances that “escape the primary placental screen.”
1 Those researchers proposed that this protective effect would be particularly important considering the rapid cell turnover in the developing fetus. In a later study, those same scientists suggested that the tightly controlled production of vitamin K and other growth regulators in embryos and newborns may be critical for normal embryogenesis.2 Those studies were conducted 20 years ago and little scientific research has been reported since. Instead, the medical community continues to focus on the dangers of low vitamin K in newborns and the importance of addressing it. And they are right; the effects of vitamin K deficiency can be devastating. That is because, in addition to cell growth regulation and other functions, vitamin K plays a vital role in the body’s blood clotting ability. Their low levels of vitamin K can put babies at risk for uncontrolled bleeding. Several factors contribute to the low levels of vitamin K in newborns: First, the maternal supply of the vitamin doesn’t cross the placental wall easily.
Second, the immature liver of the newborn (particularly in premature infants) not only can’t store much vitamin K but also doesn’t use it well. Finally, it takes the infant weeks or months to begin colonizing the gut with the bacteria that produce vitamin K.3 It has also been hypothesized that, while most vitamins and nutrients protect the fetus more than the mother in the presence of deficiency, low levels of vitamin K in the newborn infant may protect the mother against excessive bleeding during the birth process.4 Vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB), also referred to as hemorrhagic disease of the newborn (HDN), is categorized by time of occurrence: Early onset (within 24 hours of birth), classic onset (within 24 hours to 7 days after birth), and late onset (2 weeks to 2 months or more). Most babies do not experience blood clotting problems despite their naturally low levels of vitamin K. Early and classic-onset VKDB is seen in between 1 in 60 and 1 in 250 newborns and generally presents as easy bruising or external bleeding, sometimes from the umbilical cord or circumcision site.
Early-onset HDN disease can be severe and is usually linked to the use of anti-seizure or blood-thinning medications by the mother during pregnancy. Late-onset bleeding is rare, occurring in between 1 in 14,000 to 1 in 25,000 infants. Despite its rarity, late-onset VKDB is important to be aware of and diagnose as soon as possible. There are rarely any “warning bleeds.” Between 30 and 60 percent of affected babies have bleeding within the brain that can lead to serious brain injury or death.5 Erring on the side of the “Mother Nature made a mistake” side, babies are generally given a shot of vitamin K within minutes of birth, though parents are able to opt out as long as they know it is a routine procedure and make their wishes known before the shot is given. That takes some vigilance because a vitamin K shot at birth has been considered the standard of care since 19616 and parents may not even hear about it before it has been administered. Although most medical professionals agree that raising vitamin K levels for newborns and babies up to several months of age is a good idea, there is some difference of opinion on the methods for doing so.
The vitamin K injection is not a vaccine. However it has been the subject of some controversy because, like vaccines, it injects the infant with foreign substances and chemicals that challenge the infant’s immature system. The vitamin K shot uses a synthetic form of the vitamin and the dosage given is much higher than the recommended daily dosage for adults, reportedly because the shot is given intramuscularly and so is metabolized slowly over time, theoretically giving the infant more time to naturally produce vitamin K.7 The manufactured product also includes 9 milligrams (mgs) of benzyl alcohol, which targets the immature liver and may lead to jaundice or, rarely to shock, cardiac or respiratory distress, and seizures.8 9 Finally, in the early 1990s two studies out of the U.K. suggested that there might be a link between the synthetic vitamin K shot and childhood cancers such as leukemia.10 Although health officials report that no further investigations showed a link between vitamin K shots and childhood cancers
,11 parents continue to be concerned. Oral vitamin K is not available as an option in the U.S. but is widely used in other countries including Europe and the U.K. The oral route tends to be slightly less effective than the intramuscular route, most likely because the oral dosage has to be given in three separate doses over the first month of life, and some doses may be forgotten.10 There also is some indication that increasing the mother’s intake of vitamin K may supplement the breast-fed baby’s low vitamin K levels, but more research is needed to confirm that.7 1 Israels LG, Israels ED. 2 Israels LG, Israels ED, Saxena SP. The Riddle of Vitamin K1 Deficit in the Newborn. Semin Perinatol February 1997.U.S. National Library of Medicine Nov. 3, 2015. 6 Committee on the Fetus and the Newborn. Controversies Concerning Vitamin K and the Newborn. 7 Lane M. Vitamin K in Breast Milk – Can it replace “the shot”? Nurse & Nourish Dec. 23, 2015.This article covers:Background of vitamin K after birthAre some babies at higher risk of HDN?
What are the effects of giving vitamin K by injection?What are the effects of giving vitamin K orally?Why were breastfed babies thought to be at increased risk?Should women take vitamin K?Possible vitamin K deficiency symptoms to watch out for In the UK, parents of new babies are routinely asked if their baby is to have supplementary vitamin K by injection or oral supplement, which is needed to make blood clot and prevent excessive internal bleeding. Compared with adults, newborn babies are born with low levels of vitamin K but the amount is normally sufficient to prevent problems. Some babies are at risk, however, because they don’t have sufficient vitamin K, and they have an increased risk of Haemorrhagic Disease of the Newborn (HDN), also known as Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding (VKDB). While some babies are at a higher risk than others (see below), some babies who are at risk of bleeding don’t show any risk factors and, for this reason, the Department of Health recommends all babies are given vitamin K soon after birth, usually by injection.
However, it is your choice as a parent to decline, if you wish; you can also opt for vitamin K to be given by mouth instead. HDN is a rare but very serious disease. Half of all babies who have HDN have a haemorrhage into their brain (intracranial bleeding). This often causes brain damage, and the baby may die. In the 1950s and 1960s, it became standard practice for all babies to have an injection of vitamin K into a muscle. Later, in the 1980s, some health professionals and parents wondered if it was necessary to give vitamin K injections to every newborn baby. Instead, single doses by mouth became popular, and some babies, if they were not deemed to be at higher risk, were not given the supplement at all. A UK study published in 1991 confirmed that HDN was rare. The babies who had HDN were more likely to have liver disease or be breastfed. Then, in 1990 and 1992, studies were published that suggested a possible link between injected vitamin K and childhood cancers including leukaemia.
This meant more babies were given vitamin K by mouth. The number of babies with HDN went up slightly as a result, perhaps because oral vitamin K is slightly less effective than when it is given by injection. Since then, further studies have failed to find any link between injected vitamin K and childhood cancers of any type and, in 1997 an expert body for the UK Department of Health concluded that this was no longer a concern. Babies at increased risk of HDN include: This means that about a third of babies are at increased risk. Some studies suggest that many of the babies who develop bleeding have unseen problems with their liver. It is hard to spot these babies before they bleed, so vitamin K can be preventive. Giving vitamin K by injection probably keeps levels higher for longer, compared with vitamin K by mouth, as it remains stored in the muscle where it was injected. Problems from the injection are very uncommon but may happen, as with any injection. Babies can feel pain and, on rare occasions, may have an infection at the place where the injection goes in, or bleeding and bruising in the muscle.
Mistakes are very occasionally made with the injection, and the wrong dose or drug may be given. Oral vitamin K is given in three separate doses, over the first month of life. Studies have shown that sometimes, a dose is omitted, probably because it’s forgotten about, and this means full protection is not given. According to studies, HDN was more common among breastfed babies. We know vitamin K levels are higher in colostrum (the first milk you produce) than in mature milk. In the past, babies were not breastfed till some time after birth, and strict feeding routines were usual; this probably meant that babies got less vitamin K than nature intended. Nowadays, babies are usually breastfeed soon after birth, and they feed frequently for as long and as often as they want. This means they get more colostrum than they used to, reducing the risk of HDN. Formula milk has vitamin K added to it. Giving vitamin K to mums before and after they have their babies has been tried in small-scale studies.
Vitamin K does go across the placenta and into breastmilk, but it does not seem to be sufficient to prevent HDN. If your newborn bleeds, for example, if you find blood oozing from the cord stump, or if bleeding continues for some time after the ‘heel prick’ blood test, or if your baby has a nose bleed or unexplained bruising, then talk to your doctor or midwife. They need to be checked in case this bleeding is a sign of HDN. If your baby has jaundice lasting longer than two to three weeks or is producing pale poos and dark urine, you should raise it with your doctor or midwife, because this may be a sign of liver problems, which increases the risk of abnormal bleeding. NCT's helpline offers practical and emotional support in all areas of pregnancy, birth and early parenthood: 0300 330 0700. You might find attending one of NCT's antenatal courses or Early Days groups helpful. Make friends with other parents-to-be and new parents in your local area for support and friendship by seeing what NCT activities are happening nearby.